Lab Rat
by notyoureverydayfreak
Summary: 'Born' and raised in a lab until the age of eight, Jack is living with his adoptive father, attempting to disguise what he really is; an escaped lab rat. Jack's plan is to hide in plain sight, but he has no idea how good he is at it, befriending none other than the son of the man responsible for finding him. Hijack fic. (Cover art by angels-are-robots on Tumblr)
1. Chapter 1, Intro

**I haven't uploaded anything on this site in so long, so sorry if I seem like a novice. I assure you, it was my life two years ago :'D**

**Sorry for it being so short, hope everyone likes it! If I get good reviews, I'll most definitely continue it with _much _longer chapters. Also, though I have a basic outline for where I'm going with this, suggestions are most definitely welcome. Also, though I'm changing some of the details and the longterm plot, this fic is closely based off of _Project Paper Doll: The Rules._**

**Also I can't write out accents so I'm not going to try :'D**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but a Macbook and copies of movies/books I did not write.**

Out of all the places Jack could be forced to go for hours everyday, it had to be classrooms. Father always said it was for the best; someone like Jack needed to appear as normal as possible, which was harder than Jack had first anticipated, back in the third grade when he began attending school. A real school, that is.

Before having moved in with North, he _had _had training, which included basic school subjects as well as cultural studies. In fact, Jack was quite advanced intellectually for a kid his age, and still was. He didn't even have an issue fitting in, the problem was, he wasn't allowed to. At least, not to his full potential.

He couldn't be popular, nor could he be a social outcast, it _sounds_ like a simple enough rule to follow, but staying middle class in high school terms, yet remain invisible was a hard thing to do.

It wasn't like Jack didn't have any friends, he just wasn't particularly close to any of them. It was just the way it had to be, and Jack had gotten used to it. He was happy with the way it was, just him and Father. That was, when he was home...

Jack was pulled away from his thoughts as he felt a tap on his shoulder. Scooting his chair out from beneath the desk enough to position his legs on the side of his seat, he twisted his torso in order to look at the girl behind him with a raised brow.

"What is i-" his expression changed and he shook his head, "I know, we're getting tested on this," he mumbled so the teacher wouldn't hear, "I'm recording the lecture and listening to it tonight."

The young woman seemed pleased, "Good, I don't feel like tutoring you over the phone again. You have the worst reception..." the brunette mumbled back.

Jack let out a small huff, "It was sixth grade, Ana, let it go," he said in a quiet voice, turning back around in his chair before he could get caught.

Murmuring, "Yeah, yeah..." the sophomore turned back to her notebook, trying to catch up on the parts of the lecture she had missed.

Ana had the strange ability to be able to listen to multiple people at once and absorb everything each one of them said. What Jack would do for a brain like that.

About twenty minutes later, the bell rung and Jack rushed off to the boys' bathroom and into an empty stall. Fishing his phone from his right pocket, a stick concealer from his left, he turned on the front cam, biting his lip, "Dammit..." he mumbled, applying a bit of the concealer to his jaw where there was a hint of a blue tint to his pale skin.

After a few moments of inspecting his face for other spots the makeup had faded, he stuffed his things back in his pocket and walked out the stall door to the sink. Who knows how often the stall doors get cleaned. Jack turned the handle, glancing at the mirror in front of him. He grimaced, trying to wet down his snow white hair which was sticking up all over the place, giving up after a few minutes.

Dumb hair.

Jack grabbed a few paper towels the janitor had left on the counter, evidently not having time to actually refill the towel dispenser, and walked to the door, jumping back when the door opened for him, a boy on the other side.

"Hey," the kid greeted, a sweet softness to his usual (mildly) nasally voice, his green eyes no more than a centimeter below Jack's blue.

"Hey," he greeted back, a small smile tugging at his lips.

Passing by each other, Jack smiled to himself as he made his way to his locker and grabbed his history books, running off to class.

...

"Nooorth?" Jack called as he stepped into the house, backpack hung over his shoulder, "You home?" Jack closed the front door, opening the closet directly in front of it, hanging his backpack up on a hook. Turning to his left, he walked out into the open space, right side serving as a living room, left side dining room.

A large, almost rectangle shaped man with a long white beard, looked up from where he sat at the end of the dining table which was cluttered with papers, as well as a laptop and an empty microwave dinner container. North set down the cell phone, standing with a concerned but stern expression on his face, "I just got off the phone with Mr. Pitch."

"Oh."

"He'd called me, offering to recruit me for another search," North informed him.

Jack bit at his thin lower lip but nodded, "That's not too bad though, right? I mean... it's happened before," it was always happening, really, "They haven't found me yet," he gave the man a weak yet playful smile.

North shook his head, "That may be, but this time it's different... it's not just them anymore."

Jack frowned.

"They're teaming up with the police force, Jack. It won't just be a few dozen people looking for you anymore, Jack. You have to be more careful than usual."

Jack's shoulders sunk down, "I'm always careful..."

The man's bushy eyebrows joined together, "You had better be unless you want to go back to the lab..."

Jack winced, "I'll be more careful."

"Good," North's stern expression was replaced with a smile, "There's some chicken and rice left over from last night, you can have that for dinner."

Jack held himself, arms crossed over his chest, "I think I'm just going to head to bed, I'll set my alarm early for homework," he sighed, "Goodnight..."

North sat on the couch in the living room area, flipping on the TV, "Goodnight, Jack."

Jack stared at the ground, taking off his shoes and tossing them in the closet, walking forward and past the living and dining room area, into a horizontal hallway, turning to his left and ran up the stairs into his bedroom.

**Reviews and criticism would be great! If I end up writing a second chapter, Jack's backstory will be more clear, I kept it pretty vague in this chapter :) **


	2. Chapter 2, Jack Has a Nightmare

**Back with another chapter :D It wasn't as long as I'd planned on, but it felt like a good time to end it. Oh! And though I mentioned the series this is based off of, I didn't mention the author's name. **

**So yup this fanfiction, though the plot doesn't have to do much with it, the backstory and a few other elements are based on _The Rules _by Stacey Kade (part of the _Project Paper Doll_ series)**

**Also, I'm feeling more sick than usual so sorry about the writing.**

**Happy reading!**

Jack stared down at his tennis shoes with a bored expression as he leaned against a rounded support beam, "Nooorth, just pick some cookies so we can go, my feet are starting to get sore," the boy whined as he tore his gaze from his dreadful footwear.

Jack's feet had an odd shape, long toes and an abnormally wide metatarsal area. His foot was also flatter than most, which made wearing shoes a pain, quite literally, so the teen preferred not to wear them when he didn't have to.

North turned his neck to look at him, beard following his movement, "Jack, I don't ask for much, just give a man some time to pick out his treats carefully, hm?"

Jack huffed, arms crossed over his chest, "Well I'm going to check out and go to the car," Jack shuffled out of the grocery store aisle, walking as if he were stepping on nails. He could hear a deep chuckle as he got further away, "Thanks for the support!" he called to his father sarcastically.

Once he had gotten to the checkout counter, he opened up the cooler attached to the candy and magazine racks, grabbing a bottled iced tea. He set it on the conveyor belt and smiled as he handed over two dollars and taking his receipt, "Thank you," he said with a smile and turned to his right, about to walk out the door when an officer stopped him.

The man took the bottle from Jack without a word, nodding his head in approval when he saw the 'Paid for' sticker on the side of the tea, "Here ya go, kid."

Jack took the bottle back with a polite smile, "Thank yo-"

The man arched an eyebrow, staring at the teen's outstretched hand, "Blue?" his confused expression was replaced with wide eyes, "You're _it_, aren't you?" he said with a hint of disgust, but his eyes were filled with greed.

Before Jack had a chance to react, the officer grabbed his wrist and reached around to pull at the other so they were held again one another, tea falling to the tiled floor, "Ooh I'm going to get a promotion because of you, boy."

Jack's eyes widened in fear, about to croak out North's name but shut his mouth. Sure, Jack would be going back to the lab but there was no reason North should get in trouble, too.

Police sirens were sounding outside, but Jack was too shaken up to wonder how the man had managed to call in a report that fast without him noticing.

Jack turned his neck, trying to look at the man, "P-please," he began to plead, "No..."

…

Jack's eyes shot open, a warm liquid dripping down his face, unsure whether it was sweat or tears. It was probably both. An alarm was blaring, and Jack quickly sat up, fingers trembling as he unlocked his android, turning off the alarm he had set the night before.

He slid his legs out from under the covers, ignoring the cold air when it made contact with his skin and stood up. Forcing his left leg, which was asleep, to move, he made his way to the full body mirror attached to his closet door. Jack's puffy eyes grazed over his reflection before looking down at his hands with shrunken shoulders, sullen expression.

…

North had been scrolling through the local newspaper website when he heard a chair squeak as it was pulled out from under the table. Without looking up, North mumbled, "Morning, son..."

"Morning, Father," the teen replied dully as he bit into a granola bar.

North had given up trying to commence conversation after Jack had lived there for a year. The only times they talked were when something neededto be said or on rare occasions that Jack would begin a conversation.

A half hour passed by and Jack stood, chair squeaking again, "What time are you getting home?" Jack asked quietly.

"Five."

Jack nodded, "See you then..." he mumbled, zipping up his grey blue hoodie (it helped distract from his abnormal skin color) and scooping up his books, walking out the front door.

…

"Dad! I'm leaving for school!" an auburn haired boy called, hoisting a dark brown backpack over his shoulder, almost toppling over at the weight, smacking his temple on the front door frame, "When are they gonna allow e-textbooks..." he mumbled as he rubbed his forehead, turning the handle of the door.

"Herrick! Come here for a minute we need to talk."

The boy's mouth twitched, "I told you, it's Hiccup..." he mumbled inaudibly, but turned around and walked back through the small living room and into the kitchen, "Yeah?"

There was a man standing next to the counter, pouring himself a mug-full of coffee, eyes trained on the boy, "You remember that meeting I told you about yesterday about the department, correct?"

Hiccup resisted an eye roll, "Yeah, 'correct'," he mocked, though his father chose to ignore it.

"BGL decided to let us in on the rumored case of a missing project..." Hiccup vaguely recognized the company initialism. It was a laboratory about fifteen miles from their home in a part of town he didn't go to that often, "But it wasn't exactly what we were expecting..." the man bit his lip, lost in thought.

"Meaning..?" Hiccup glanced at the clock on the wall, "Kinda on a schedule, Dad."

The man looked back to his son and shook his head, "Just let me know if there's any unusual behavior at school, okay?"

"Wha-" Hiccup shook his head. He was already pushing it if he wanted to stop for coffee and he wasn't particularly interested in the conversation anyway, "Uh alright. See you tonight," the green-eyed boy shook his head and rushed back to the front door.

"Mhm..." came a muffled reply as Hiccup raced outside and into his car.

…

"_They don't even have police officers at grocery stores, Stupid," _Jack couldn't help but roll his eyes at the inaccuracy of his dreams, burying his face in his arms after pushing aside his lunch tray.

Jack continued to scrutinize his dream in his thoughts, head in arms, when an unfamiliar voice came from behind him.

"Is uh... is he okay?"

A voice he recognized as Ana's spoke up after a moment, "I'm not sure, he's been a grump all day and-"

"I'm fine, Tooth," he smirked to himself, knowing the nickname would make her quiet down for a while, "I told you, I didn't get much sleep last night," Jack turned around to face the boy, the one he vaguely recognized as the boy from the bathroom the day prior.

The boy's eyebrows knit as he looked at Jack's face, "Yeah... you look like it."

"Meaning?" his eyebrow arched.

The other teen cleared his throat awkwardly and tilted his head slightly with narrowed eyes, "Around your eyes... I don't know, it's just an odd color..."

"He's right, Jack," Ana frowned, "Are you sure you aren't feeling sick?"

_Shit._

"I uh... maybe a little..." his face was hot, unsure what he should have said. If he had said no it would be too suspicious, but if he had answered yes...

"I could take you to the nurse," the boy offered, biting at his lower lip, seeming concerned.

And there it was.

"N-no, really I'm feeling fine, guys..." Jack looked at Ana for help but she shook her head, arms crossed over her chest.

"You're going with him, Jack."

His shoulders shrunk but nodded, "Fine," there was usually a line of students trying to get out of class at the nurse's office anyway, he could just leave after this kid left. Jack stood up with a sigh, "I can make it there myself you know."

"Uh huh," the other teen chuckled a bit to himself, sarcasm evident in his voice, "I'm Hiccup by the way," he introduced as they started to walk out of the lunch room and into the hallway.

"Yep."

"And you're Jack, right?" 'Hiccup' peered over at the other, tilting his head slightly.

"Mhm."

"We were in the same classes back in middle school, right?" the shorter of the the two questioned.

"Yup."

"Great conversationalist..." Hiccup mumbled, slim arms crossed over his chest with a slight huff.

Jack hadn't meant to appear rude, he just knew the dangers of getting close with someone- or too many people. He wasn't sure having more friends than the two he already had now would be a good idea. So, despite his guilt, Jack decided to leave it. Besides, being friends with him could potentially bring _much _more pain than just a bit of rejection from someone this kid didn't even _know._

They arrived at the nurse's office a few minutes later, Jack ignoring any other attempts of conversation the boy made (surprisingly, many; this kid sure had stubbornness issues). Jack stared at the entrance. No line.

He gulped, "I..."

Hiccup raised a brow, "What?"

"Nothing," Jack mumbled, walking in, head down.

Hiccup followed him in, sitting at one of the two chairs against the wall. The room was set up much like a doctor's office, but instead of the bed lifted up high, it was a bit less than three feet off the ground.

The white haired teen sat on the bed stiffly and looked at Hiccup, "You can leave..." he tried to seem casual about it but it came out more urging than anything.

Jack held back a groan and sucked in when the nurse turned from her desk, "What's the probl- oh my," she stood from her desk and scrambled over to the shelf, "What are your symptoms?" came the muffled question.

"Uh..." Jack hadn't thought of what he should say, as he wasn't planning on seeing the nurse at all, "Headache..?" he bit his lip.

The woman didn't seem to notice his hesitance, grabbing a bottle of acetaminophen, pouring two into her hand as well as some water into a cup, handing it over and biting her thumbnail, "Your skin looks almost blue..."

"So I've heard..." he grumbled, taking a gulp of the water and slipping the pills into his pocket.

Hiccup's eyes narrowed a bit when he saw that. If he was really feeling sick wouldn't he be taking them? Maybe he was allergic but didn't want to cause a fuss. That seemed a bit unlikely.

The woman had been bustling around, gathering some blankets after insisting Jack lay down, pouring more water, then took a washcloth from the shelf and drenched it in water, about to put it on Jack's forehead but he flinched and pulled away, "I-I really don't feel too sick... I mean, I'm fine, I promise..." he laughed nervously.

"Hon... you aren't fine..." the woman frowned, attempting to put the wet washcloth on his forehead and he pulled away again.

His heartbeat sounded like an alarm, pumping hard and loud in his ears, face flushed with blue, only making the situation worse. Jack looked at Hiccup, lip trembling, but his expression sent a clear message.

_Help me._

**Horray for most cliche &amp; poorly written endings ever :D**

**Again, sorry it was so much shorter than I'd originally intended. I'm really trying not to give away too much of Jack's story too fast, so sorry if you were hoping for more :c**

**Thanks for the reviews, they're very useful. **


	3. Chapter 3, Jack's a Liar

**I haven't gotten the idea of long chapters apparently, so whoops. In reply to the guest, Snowflake, Jack's afraid of the washcloth because it would wipe all of the makeup off, so instead of his face just being a bit blue around the eyes, it would be a bit more vibrant all over his entire face. So, instead of just looking sickly, it'd look unnatural. **

**I also apologize for Hiccup's name, some people do Henry, Henrick, Herrick, and I chose Herrick because I like'd how it sounded X'D. Enjoy the chapter, feel free to PM/review with any questions, I'll gladly answer :D**

**Sorry for the late update, but good news! The series this fic is based off of, I got to meet the author, so that was great! You should check her out because she's super sweet.**

**Ya' know how the disclaimers go, all rights go to their owners such as Dreamworks Animation and Disney Hyperion. Characters from _How to Train Your Dragon _&amp; _Rise of the Guardians _and based on the series _Project Paper Doll _by Stacey Kade. **

**Enjoy~ (oh god it's 2010 all over again ~ isn't a thing anymore, huh?)**

_Help me._

Hiccup's eyebrows furrowed, the clarity of the unspoken message was, to say the least, disturbing. It was almost as if he could hear Jack's voice, but the young man's mouth wasn't moving. In fact, his face was just about frozen in a terrified expression aside from the slight tremble of his lower lip. Odd.

_Don't just stand there, dork, help me out._

This time it was urgent, and Hiccup was beginning to wonder if he'd gone insane. How else would all of this even be possible? Jack was weird, but that didn't mean he was capable of anything like _that._

Either way, something about the washcloth was obviously scaring him and Hiccup felt inclined to help him. Probably had something to do with the voice in his head telling him to do so. His eyes scanned for something he could use as a distraction, though he wasn't even sure that was what Jack wanted. Couldn't he have been a little more specific?... The voice... in his head.

As if to answer his unstated question, the teen gave a slight encouraging nod before turning back to the black haired woman in front of him, "This really isn't necessary, Miss Lockhart... I'm fine..." he forced a smile through gritted teeth.

Hiccup's eyes eventually locked on the woman's desk, specifically on a glass jar filled three quarters of the way full with cough drops. Without thinking, he shoved it off the desk, wincing when it hit the ground, shattering. Glass shards scattered across the floor, and the woman dropped the washcloth to the ground, eyes wide.

"Herrick!" she scolded, stepping away from Jack, who stood up wobbly and inched his way out the door.

"Wasn't me! Well uh... lunch hour's almost over.. I gotta go..." before the woman could say another word, he dashed out the door. Hiccup's eyes darted around the hallway, spotting a head of white dodging other students. He raced down the walkway and grabbed Jack by the shoulder, "What was that about?!"

Jack's eyes were wide, staring at the slightly shorter boy, "What was what about?" he tried to appear calm, though his fingers fidgeted with his hoodie strings nervously. Jack looked like an overall wreck, really, with the blue surrounding his eyes and still-trembling lip.

What was Hiccup supposed to reply with? _Uh, the voices in my were telling me to save you. _Yeah, no. The auburn haired teen tilted his head a bit, pulling the both of them into the bathroom and water fountain area, "You ran from the nurse's office... but you're sick right?"

"No."

"But you sai-"

"I'm not sick, end of story," Jack glanced at the wall clock. Twenty-seven seconds, then this conversation could be over and the bell would ring.

"You look really sick, I mean-" he made a small gesture with his hand to Jack's face, "Your skin..."

"I'm aware of my skin, Hiccup..." Jack mumbled. _Fifteen...f__ourteen..._

Hiccup bit his lip, unsure how to reply, "But you... I just..." he rubbed his upper arm before dropping his hand, "I want an explanation after school..." his voice was hesitant, though intended to be threatening.

"Uh huh," Jack smirked, "Anything else, mom?"

A glare answered his question and Jack took the opportunity to turn his back and walk away, concealing a proud smile, turning the corner into the bathroom as the bell rung.

...

"Jack!"

Said teen's locker door slammed shut, bonking him in the head, but Ana didn't seem to notice, bouncing up and down.

"Guess who aced their health quiz again?" she questioned in a sing-song voice.

"Jimmy Neutron?" he responded dully, rubbing his temple. That washcloth back in the nurse's office didn't seem like such a bad idea now.

"No," the young woman forced a glare before grinning again, handing him a piece of paper, a small '100 %' in that illegible handwriting every teacher seemed to have, "Isn't that great?" the brunette snatched the quiz back, holding it to her chest.

"Just as great as it every week," the boy chortled, pulling his books to his chest somewhat protectively, "But I'm glad you're happy," Jack shook his head, "We skyping tonight or..?"

"I'll text you if I can," the girl smiled, "I gotta get home, I forgot to feed Baby Tooth this morning," Ana stuffed her paper in a green folder, giving Jack a small wave with her even smaller hand before skipping off.

"Bye," Jack laughed to himself quietly to himself. It was always hard to keep a conversation going with that girl; she was always so busy.

Jack's thoughts stopped when he heard someone clearing his throat next to him, and Jack frowned, "I thought you were joking about the whole mom thing."

"I'm a curious person," Hiccup shrugged.

"And I'm a person who really values time alone," Jack secured his lock and began walking down the hall, hoping the teen would get the idea.

"Could I have some answers without the sass?" Hiccup followed, having trouble keeping up. Through the crowd of students, Jack seemed to have a knack for plotting exactly how he'd make it out the door, whereas Hiccup had to go at a slow pace to avoid collision or tripping.

"Wasn't that just sass?"

"No it was a request."

Jack bit his lower lip, "True. But I told you before, I didn't feel sick. I left. What's the big deal?"

"People don't just have blue skin one minute, then come back back with healthy skin the next," Hiccup laughed, almost a nervous one, "People don't have blue skin in general!"

"I don't have to explain anything..." Jack persisted, sighing once he got out the front door. No way was he losing this kid in the crowd now that they were outside.

"But it's just no-"

"They don't know what it is," Jack blurted out, "The doctors, they don't know why. It happens sometimes," sure, lying might not have been the best option but who'd want to hang out with a diseased freak who could potentially be contagious. It would be the best way to keep this kid out of his life.

Hiccup's face went pale, "Oh."

"Can I go home now?"

The auburn haired teen looked up at the taller of two. He wasn't sure how likely his story was, but he couldn't think of any other possibilities. His expression softened into a sympathetic smile, but shook his head, "Do you want to? Or do you just want to avoid the topic?"

"You don't really give up do you?" Jack laughed nervously. He was tempted to keep talking to Hiccup, he seemed friendly enough (a bit stubborn, but friendly nonetheless) and Jack didn't want to make him feel rejected. It wasn't like he was making any commitments, just accepting an invitation to chat, "...And if you're willing to avoid the topic, yeah, that'd be cool."

...

_How could you have let your abilities get so out of hand like that, Dumbass? _Jack criticized himself, kicking a pebble on the side of the road of which he had been walking on. _Idiot. _Back at the nurse's office, Jack could have easily used his _skills, _for lack of a better word, to knock over that cough drop container without communicating with Hiccup like that. The poor kid (who had made an opposite turn five minutes ago) had probably gone home thinking one of them was a freak. Most likely himself. If that was the case, it would be better for both of them in the long run, but Jack's guilty conscious would not handle it well.

_He probably feels like an idiot... _and there went said conscious, _Not to mention crazy. It's enough to harass someone over a medical issue **which you don't have, **but making someone think they have a mental condition... tsk tsk... _Jack's 'conscious' was beginning to sound a whole lot like Black. Taunting, yet disappointed and drenched in disapproval.

Great. Not only had the man ruined his life, but now he was inside his head. Just perfect.

Jack approached his home, flipping up the shiny metal panel next to the gate, punching in the code _(0318)  
_and waited for the click of the gate, shoving it open and swinging it shut once he was inside the bland yard. Shuffling up the stairs of the porch and into the house, Jack called out quietly, "North?"

"How was school?" the man's voice sounded from the kitchen.

"Fine," Jack lied through his teeth. He hated lying to his father, but telling the truth wasn't an option, "Work?"

"Fine," North replied in a mumble. Jack could hear clicking from the other room and realized the man was probably busy on his laptop.

"See you tomorrow morning..." Jack mumbled, setting down his stack of books on the dining room table and had retreated up the staircase before he could hear the man's reply.

...

Jack stared up at the white ceiling of his bedroom, arms wrapped around himself protectively, warm tears falling from his eyes, freezing cold by the time they trickled past his ear, jaw, neck, and absorbed into his shirt. _That dream wasn't that off base, you know, _Jack told himself. Silently, of course. No way was he getting past the lump in his throat or chapped lips which had stuck together, _Sure, they don't have police officers working at grocery stores, but that doesn't mean they don't shop there, _Jack had realized earlier in the day how bad it really was. If an officer had managed to find North the one time Jack had ever seen him speed, how long did _he_ have?

How long until he would be locked up in the padded white-walled room again? _White walls... _Jack could feel his throat closing up. He needed to get out of this room... His eyes scanned for any sort of color, locking on the sky blue door which led to his bathroom.

Pulling his grey bedspread up and around himself, he took a wobbly step out of bed, then another, then another... _What kind of sick joke is this anyway? Stick the kid in the room which looks exactly like his old torture chamber, it'll be hilarious, _Jack reached out a trembling hand and turned the doorknob, stumbling into his blue-tiled bathroom, climbing into the bathtub, curling up into a fetal position. Hands clutching onto his comforter, he managed to steady his sobs aside from a few chokes here and there.

Suddenly a bitter laugh. _Created to be fearless, and now all I feel is fear... I win, BGL, I win...__  
_

**Thanks for all the reviews and stuff, they're really encouraging/helpful.**

**-Riss**


	4. Chapter 4, Dr Frost Mad Scientist

**Writer is bad so writer is late.**

**Very late. This chapter is super short because I had tons of things to do this week and my sister was home from college so I had to end it quick.**

**Enjoy the thing.**

Hiccup had been having, to say the least, difficult day. If you could call it a _day, _as he'd hardly slept at all the night before. No, he had spent his night worrying for his father's mental health, as well as his own. He must have been crazy if he believed he could talk to his dad about anything without him making it about 'the good of the city' also known as the abundance of money in their bank account. Forget about things as petty as _sleep_. The only reason Hiccup hadn't passed out during lunch would mean spending more time than he had to upstairs with his father. That and the luxury of having a Starbucks only a few blocks away.

It is easy to stress more about minor affairs when tired and Hiccup had learned that the hard way. Hard way translating to wooden shards of pencil scattered around his bedroom from his multiple silent tantrums the night before. Yet another pencil in hand, Hiccup's teeth ground together as it snapped, throwing the remains to the ground as well.

"Herrick?" Stoick's deep voice boomed from the hallway, "Did the boy respond yet?"

"He's checking with his dad," Hiccup replied blandly.

A scoff could be heard from the man, "Call me if he texts back, I'm going to work," Hiccup heard heavy footsteps stomping up the staircase as well as the faint sound of the front door closing.

...

Jack rarely found himself thinking about the future, aside from the ones that made him tremble with fear. Fears which were, unfortunately, logical and things he had to be prepared for. Fears of walking home and someone inside one of those creepy black vans realizing his skin was a bit _too _pale, a bit _too _flawless. Fears of waking up stuffed inside a musty old bag, getting jostled around in the back of said van. Fears of waking up to the erie voice of the tall dark man on the other side of the protective glass _every aching day _for the rest of his miserable life. _  
_

Just as it had been his first eight years of being alive.

Perhaps ambitions was a better word than future. Jack rarely found himself thinking about _his ambitions. _He had accepted a long time ago that college wasn't really an option and he tried not to focus on what he would end up doing after high school. Jack knew he'd be found before that.

But today was different. His future was all Jack could seem to think about. Maybe it was to distract himself from his fears. Maybe it was a side affect of talking to that Hiccup boy. The poor kid acted like no one had stopped and listened to him a day in his life. Though, from the sound of it, no one had.

_"What about you, Jack?"_

_"What about me?"_

_The boy had grinned up at him with crooked teeth, "Ya' know, your dreams. What you want to do!"_

Jack hadn't known how to answer to that. The only thing that had come to mind was a scientist (it was all he knew; if Hiccup asked about it, he'd be able to recall at least a few answers from North's rants when coworkers came over for dinner. Those nights Jack had to eat upstairs, but he could still hear the conversations. It had appeared all they had in common was in fact their work.) But the thought made Jack cringe. He'd had enough scientist 'friends' for a lifetime. Maybe he could be an anti-scientist. _A mad scientist._

_Idiot, _there went his so-called conscious which he was beginning to trust less and less, _You're in danger of being found and all you can think about are your fourth grade fantasies. Tsk tsk..._

Jack was contemplating banging his own head against the wall just to make this stupid voice _shut up._

His mind instead began to wander back to the auburn haired fishbone, who had seemed a bit disappointed when Jack's only answer was, _"I don't know," _but continued rambling happily not a minute later and only stopped once they had to head in separate directions. Jack had felt... sad to see him go.

It was now 1:00 pm Saturday afternoon, the day after they had parted ways, and Jack was left in sitting in his bathtub and staring at his phone which lay next to his half finished sandwich. Suddenly, the phone buzzed, sending loud vibrations throughout the tub.

At 12:31 pm Jack had sent a text to North asking for permission to have someone over for a 'project,' which was usually the excuse used when some crazy make-out session was about to happen. But in Jack's world, getting close to someone was a big no-no, so asking to have a potential friend over might not be the best plan.

_**Father: **Be careful. [1:08 pm]_


	5. Chapter 5, Freckles and Secrets

**Warning: mild gore**

**Also, if anyone would be willing to message me if you find any fanarts that might relate to this fic (really any sort of modern!hijack that isn't super mushy) or something, mind shooting me an ask to my tumblr?**

Jack's heart was somewhere between beating right out of his chest and falling to the pit of his stomach with anticipation. What was the point of all of this? To make a new friend?

_Ha. When did **you **become so trusting?_ Jack's conscience seemed to taunt him, causing him to question just about everything. Including the original question. When _had _he become so trusting? Hell, one year ago, Jack would have replied to to Hiccup's _futile _question of 'Would it be alright if I come over?' with a straightforward 'no,' absolutely no thought necessary. Anytime he talked to anyone but North, he was one step closer to being discovered. To being carted away in a freakish black van and never see color again. Just white walls, white clothes, and a white brass bed. He might even get lucky and get human contact with the lab assistant who strapped on the restraints before his testings.

Memories from BGL poured in until Jack felt like he would overflow, clutching to his arms protectively, eyes closed.

_"It can't hurt too bad, three-eighteen; you **were **constructed to survive explosions," the man's voice was so relaxed. It was hard to believe he had just overseen Jack's arm being shattered to pieces in the name of science, listening to such a young child scream in such agony. _

_But Pitch had never seen Jack as a child. Pitch had never seen Jack as anything but a guinea pig or a lab rat. He was nothing but a freak of nature. Whatever helped him sleep at night, not worrying about how or if Jack slept. _

_"I was made to **survive**, no one ever said it wouldn't hurt," Jack had managed through snotty sniffles._

_That comment had earned him two days of solitude. In that time, Jack had taught himself to be grateful for the black and blue bruises and crimson red blood that had dried onto his arm. Better than white, right?_

Jack glanced at the time, sucking in a breath. _2:21. _This would be the first time anyone but North and him had been inside this house. At least, anyone _he _knew.

A snort.

Jack knew everyone, just nobody knew Jack.

There was a knock on the door, and Jack's face paled as he stood to open it. Was it typical for a human to invite themselves over after a day of knowing another? Jack had no way of knowing. For all he knew, this could be a trap.

But if that were the case, it was too late.

Jack did his best to fake a smile as he opened up the door, resisting a lip bite. Eyes scanning over the teen in front of him, Hiccup's thoughts echoed as they copied into Jack's head.

_Don't tell him. Don't tell him. Don't tell him._

Jack grimaced. That couldn't be good.

Nonetheless, Jack kept his smile up as he began to welcome him inside, taking his jacket and hanging it up. After greeting each other, Jack showed a bit of hesitation, "So did you just want to hang out or was there a specific reason for asking to come over?"

"The first one," Hiccup replied quickly, twirling and untwirling a dangling string from his sleeve.

Jack could feel that Hiccup was nervous, but he was sure any human could figure that out. Something was off, but Hiccup seemed to be putting up some sort of barrier to prevent Jack from finding out what that was. All Jack could get from him was that same chant.

_Don't tell him. Don't tell him. Don't tell him._

"Well," Jack started, pushing aside his suspicions, "I'm glad I made such a good impression."

A sincere smile, "Yeah... you did."

No signs of deception. Odd.

"So should we go to your room or..?" Hiccup raised a brow, following Jack's dull gaze to see nothing but suburbia.

The teen's head snapped up and looked at Hiccup, alert, "No," his tone had a strict sound to it, as if it were _obvious _that they couldn't go to his room. Suddenly aware of how it had sounded, he laughed lightly and shook his head, "-It's a mess in there, you wouldn't want to anyway," a complete lie. The room looked like an IKEA catalog. In a way, it was. There hadn't been any changes to the room since he had first arrived other other than switching out the clothing in his wardrobe. If the room itself was neat, it would be harder to find evidence that Jack was _not_ supposed to be there, "How about going to the basement instead?"

"Sounds good," Hiccup shrugged off his own suspicions, following Jack to the basement staircase, hint of a smile playing at his lips.

...

"No no no, _that _one," Jack laughed, picking up the other teen's arm, thumb tapping a rather large freckle on Hiccup's wrist.

"It just looks like a blob, Jack."

He faked an exasperated groaned, "Use your _imagination, _Hiccup."

"It doesn't matter how much imagination I use, there is no way that looks like a crescent moon," Hiccup sat up taller, stubborn expression on his face.

Jack sat back as well, cross-legged and biting his thumbnail. He hummed, "Well that one on your neck sort looks lik- no..."

"Why are you persistent on this, again?" Hiccup tried to look annoyed, but his face was red at this point from holding back laughs.

"Why are _you _so against it? C'mon, it's better than watching clouds!"

"No one ever claimed watching clouds was a good idea," Hiccup raised a challenging eyebrow, looking Jack over for any sort of impurities.

"Well _I _like watching clouds thank yo-"

"What is that?" Hiccup tilted his head as he leaned forward to examine his peer. He only got a glance at it, a sharp edged black figure located on the left side of his chest, just below the collarbone.

Jack's eyes widened. _Shit._ Hands trembling, he grabbed the grey hoodie he had tossed aside earlier, struggling to slip it on and zip it up. The white haired teen looked up nervously, "I-I'm sorry what was that?"

"I was just..." the teen's eyes narrowed a bit, "Forget it."

_Gladly, _"What were we talking about again?"

"Crescent moons."

**Again, sorry for the short chapter. I do intend to write longer chapters but it's been a busy few weeks. Shorter the chapters, longer the fic will last, I guess. At least I managed to fit in a little backstory in.**

**In case anyone was wondering my Tumblr is themoonsavedme if I haven't mentioned it before.**


	6. Chapter 6, Cuddles?

**Sorry for the late chapter, but I don't really have much of a schedule going for this. Again, any suggestions for plot would be great. I have a vague outline, but I didn't plan out everything... I didn't expect to get more than a few readers, haha. Reviews, as always, are appreciated. Thank you for all the favorites and follows as well! Somehow makes writing easier.**

**If anyone's interested, my playlist I listen to while writing this fic consists mostly of songs by Band of Horses which includes: _The Funeral, No One's Gonna Love You, Knock Knock, Is There a Ghost,_ and_ Dumpster World. _Not all fit the theme, but they're generally good songs to write to. _Treacherous _by Taylor Swift is the best fitting I've found so far, though (at least it fits future chapters... eheh). **

**Enjoy!**

Needless to say, Hiccup was suspicious. What was he suspicious of? That was the difficult part. Too many things didn't add up with Jack, but none of them fit together to form any sort of conclusion. Hell, most things didn't make any sense by themselves, forget about cramming them together. Hiccup was almost desperate enough to go to his _father _for advice.

_Uh, hey dad? You know that kid I told you was cool and you sent me to spy on? Yeah, well I think he's some sort of superhuman. Have any words of wisdom? Past experience? _

Hiccup wasn't _that _desperate. If he knew his father, the man would cook up some crazy work of fiction and _somehow _connect Jack to one of his unsolved cases at work. Next thing he knew, Jack would be gone and Hiccup would be a lone again. He was better off with a friend who had secrets than no friends at all. He was mysterious and _different_, and something about that made Hiccup like him all the more.

Not to say it didn't give him a headache.

"Is that you, Herrick?" a disembodied voice sounded from the living room as he walked inside his home.

Hiccup knit his brows. The living room went unused most days. In fact, the only times it was used was when-

"I'm having a meeting, sport, go down to your room. We'll have that _talk _afterwards."

He probably should have been concerned about the conversation his father was talking about, but the humor in his father referring to Hiccup as _sport _was too much to not laugh at, "Y-yeah, alright, dad," the boy called through chuckles.

It was only when the youth had run down the staircase to the cold, humid basement did he realize exactly what talk Stoick was referring to. His father wanted to talk about Jack. Now, Hiccup wasn't particularly worried that his father would be right about any of this (whatever 'this' was; no one had bothered explaining anything to him) but he wasn't sure how he would react. Stoick was known to get a bit too infested in his work, to the point where logic had been thrown out the window... proceeding to be crushed by a semi and washed into a ditch. Telling him about the things he'd seen could potentially ruin any sort of friendship between Jack and him.

So he wouldn't.

...

Jack had never been fond of his reflection. Mirrors were nothing but a cruel reminder of what could have been; what _he _could have been. _Human. _Why was it that such a simple word filled the teen up with so much rage and envy?

He knew the answer, but Jack didn't like to think about it. He didn't like to think about the fact that he was not a human. He didn't like that it was so _obvious_ what he was (at least what he wasn't). He didn't like that every time he looked in that damn mirror, there was a disembodied voice telling him no matter what he did, or where he went, he was nothing more than an experiment. A piece of property. He was even branded.

Pale blue fingers brushed over his chest as Jack stared at his own reflection, a sequence of numbers and letters written in bold, permanent ink. **BGL-318.**

Jack's eyes darted away from his tattoo and up to his face. Specifically, the snow white hair which dripped down onto the white carpeting of his bedroom, still damp from his shower. He grimaced as he recalled his many failed attempts at dying his hair, back when he had been nine years old. It had always been his biggest issue when he was hiding from BGL workers. Nothing ever worked, so it remained white. If Jack were being honest with himself, he liked the look of it, but the painful memories dominated over his taste in hair color.

Throwing on a dark green tee, he walked down the staircase, creaking in response to his weight, "North?" he called quietly, turning around the corner to see his father.

The elder turned away from his TV program to look at the youth, looking a bit surprised to see Jack up so late (11:00 pm; Jack required more sleep than most teens), "Yes?"

"It's been a while since we just... hung out, I guess?" _You sound like an idiot, Jack. Just turn around and march upstairs like a good boy, _"D-do you think I could maybe join you?"

North, though caught off guard, smiled through his lengthy white beard, "I'd like that..." he spoke carefully, as if afraid the kid would run off.

Jack gave a grateful smile, though it didn't appear to be direct (eye contact was something Jack tried to avoid, due to his unnaturally intense eye color). He climbed onto the couch, knees tucked under his chin.

North resisted a chortle, recognizing the intentional distance between the two of them.

Progress.

**Such a long wait for such a short chapter... ugh, I'm really sorry, you guys. Thanks again for any reviews and _especially _plotty ideas in PM. **


	7. Chapter 7, Astrid's a Good Friend

**It's been long. Explanation at end of chapter.**

**Bit of a warning, there's a bit of father son argument here, nothing too bad. Buuut if that sort of thing makes you uncomfortable, you might want to skip out on this fic entirely. There will be almost as much relationship building with parents as there will be with Jack and Hiccup. Healthy relationships include arguments (Though by no means are either of the parental relationships healthy at the moment). It's not the main focus, but it does play an important part.**

Hiccup was not an idiot. As pathetic as it was, he trusted Jack, a complete stranger, more than he did his own father. Something told Hiccup he was right to trust Jack. The boy was mysterious, yes, (and if he wasn't mistaken, Hiccup got the sense Jack could be quite the prankster when he got the chance) but also gentle. Knowing Jack the short while he had, he was positive he would never hurt anyone- unless he had to. It was also obvious that Jack was capable of protecting himself, if needed. Nimble, yet strong. As if he was built for exactly that; defense.

But Jack would never hurt anyone without a moral purpose, that much Hiccup trusted. And because of that, Hiccup felt the need to protect that innocence Jack held, even if it meant risking everything with his father. (If he were being honest with himself, there wasn't much left to risk since his mother left.)

"I'm telling you dad, there's _nothing _to worry about!"

"You don't know what to be looking for. Just tell me everything that happened and–"

"_Dad,_" Hiccup interrupted, earning a surprised, and somewhat irritated look from his father, "I'm not telling you anything until you tell _me _what's going on!"_  
_

There was an elongated silence, followed by quiet but stern words, "That's not your choice to make, Herrick."

"It's Hiccup," the teen grumbled with a concealed scowl.

Stoick's eyes flared dangerously, "You'll answer to what I call you, Herrick," the man breathed out through his nose, "Don't bother coming back upstairs until you're ready to be respectful," Stoick said as calmly as he could manage and proceeded to walk out of the room, door slamming behind him.

_Real mature, Dad. _Hiccup rolled his eyes and took out his phone, calling one of his few contacts.

"Astrid, mind helping me get out of the house again?"

"No problem. I'll be there in a few."

...

"Soo..." the blonde leaned forward to set her drink in the car's cupholder, "Are you going to tell me what happened? I mean, I'm not too great with the whole 'gentle' thing, but I can try to help."

"At least you're aware of it," Hiccup shook his head with a weak laugh, "And... it's complicated. Not worth explaining, really."

Astrid frowned, "Are you sure because–"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Alright then..." the teen shook her head, pushing the matter aside, "Been a while since we talked. Glad to know I'm only useful when you're too much of a wimp to sneak out yourself."

"Hey, I'm not a wimp. The window was made so that I can't get out unless someone's outside to–"

Astrid laughed lightly, "I'm just joking, you know," she took a bite of a soggy, salty fast-food fry, "Calm down."

"Oh, sorry," Hiccup mocked, accompanied with an eye roll, "You know me. I turn into a monster when I'm upset," Hiccup stifled a laugh.

"So I've heard. Of course, I've never actually _seen _you get upset."_  
_

Hiccup shook his head,"Yeah, no one wants this untamable beast to be unleashed, not after it's been contained for so long. Who knows what could lie beneath all... this," he snorted as he looked down at himself.

"Oh, whatever would we do?" Astrid played along, a small smirk on her lips. She leaned back against the car seat.

"Probably laugh," Hiccup said.

"Probably."

A comfortable silence followed, and Hiccup focused in on an ant crawling on the dashboard. After a while, he lifted his hand so that the creature could crawl onto his finger. The teen smiled faintly and opened the car door, allowing the mouth-watering aroma of fast food to gain access to the vehicle. He crouched down and set the insect on the pavement and quickly returned to his seat.

"Hiccup?" Astrid spoke hesitantly, a rare occurrence in itself.

"Hm?"

"It's healthy to get upset sometimes."

Hiccup sighed inwardly. He'd heard this before. Not from Astrid, but the same deal, "Uh huh."

"And it's also healthy to talk about what's _making _you upset," she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She was obviously not used to the whole touchy-feely thing, but she was also well aware Hiccup no longer had anyone else to talk to, "And I'm willing to listen."

"I appreciate it- really, I do," Hiccup assured but went on, shaking his head, "But I don't need to get upset or talk about anything. I just needed to get out of the house, _that's all._"

"Alright," Astrid replied with a slight disappointment, despite the relief of not having to play counselor, "You want to get dropped off at home or someplace else?"

For a split second, Hiccup thought about calling Jack. The other boy seemed much more comfortable and at ease while in his own home, compared to their other interactions. Even _Hiccup_ felt more at home there than he did in his own house. It definitely wasn't a comfy atmosphere, though. Hiccup saw no family photos on the walls, no refrigerator magnets, nothing that resembled keepsakes... but the air wasn't cold like it was in his own home (metaphorically speaking, at least. The literal temperature was freezing, to match Jack's snowy hair, he presumed). He wanted to go back.

But that was too weird.

They had only been apart a few _hours. _Asking to come back would just be creepy. Unless, of course, he were to explain the circumstances. But Hiccup couldn't explain how Jack's home contained the same atmosphere his own had, back when his mother was still around. Hiccup couldn't explain how, somehow, the idea of talking through his problems didn't sound so bad, as long as Jack were around. Jack, the boy he'd met only this week.

He just sighed, "Nowhere else to go, I guess."

**I've really been debating putting this up because there were so many more things supposed to happen. -_- But, I'm sick with Lyme Disease and apparently I was only receiving half the dose of meds I should have been so... Two month long headache kept me from writing ^^; I am so sorry. This is probably my worst writing so far too. :/ Hope you all are still enjoying it, despite that.  
**


	8. Chapter 8: Dragons are Insects?

**Dear lord, sorry about the wait, I've been HORRIBLY sick... Like, more than usual. Alsooo, I decided to take some time to rewrite the outline, as the opportunity presented myself when my dog shredded the original, and I have memory problems due to illness. This was originally based on a book, but I wanted to adjust it to be mine, as well as fit Jack's character. Sooo yup, this chapter is pretty short, just so I can get into writing it again. This is kind of more of a cutesy friendship building chapter, more than plot. Sorry :P**

Jack had grown up with nothing but silence. Having been confined in a small room, alone, up until the age of eight, he had grown accustomed to the quiet. He'd never experienced anything else. That is, until North, his soon-to-be father, assisted him in his escape. That was when Jack discovered how loud and chaotic the world really was. He felt ashamed to admit it, but he loved it. Not that he ever _would _admit it. He was taught better than that.

Hiccup definitely wasn't as content with chaos as Jack was, but ever since silence had invaded the Haddock household, he'd begun to miss it. In the days that had passed, the house was eerily hushed. His dad was never the chatty type, but this was ridiculous. Not that he _minded, _silence was better than getting scolded... but it still wasn't _comfortable_.

However, both boys managed to balance themselves out and it just happened to be with each other. Hiccup was in desperate need of something _interesting_, and Jack fit into that description quite well. Not only the things he said, but the way he acted. Jack was constantly looking behind his back, always uneasy and appeared paranoid. It was interesting to Hiccup, if not worrisome. He knew it most likely had something to do with PTSD or a physical illness, but Hiccup was in no means short of an imagination. Hell, he was _still_ half-convinced trolls existed.

"I... I'm sorry, _trolls_? As in... like, those ugly Smurf guys from Frozen or..?"

"_No,_" Hiccup shot a glare at Jack, who just continued snickering, "Trolls have been around centuries before _Frozen_, Jack," by his tone of voice, Hiccup seemed to be taking this quite personally, "Man, you don't even deserve to know. Go make out with Ariel or Walt Disney or something."

Jack only chortled to himself, carefully avoiding the cracks on the sidewalk as they made their way closer to the school, "Wrong movie... gross, fish lips... and isn't he dead or something?"

"Well I wouldn't put necrophilia past you," Hiccup replied with a lazy smile.

"I'd prefer Princess Fishlips to decayed flesh," Jack rolled his eyes, glancing at idle road, then back down at the sidewalk.

Hiccup smirked, "Good to know."

They shared a laugh, which eventually faded into silence. That is, until Hiccup threw his hand out across Jack's chest, mumbling a 'wait,' making him stumble backwards. Hiccup may have noticed how much of an overreaction that was, or how the teen winced at contact, if he weren't busy crouching down on the ground.

After recovering from the initial shock, Jack raised a brow, "What was that about?"

Hiccup smiled, holding out his hand with a proud look on his face. At first, Jack assumed he wanted help standing, but under closer inspection, he noticed a small caterpillar on his finger, "You almost stepped on it," he explained, standing up himself and setting it on a fencepost.

"What a tragedy?" Jack laughed softly, but Hiccup just shrugged.

"Just because we have the power to hurt them, doesn't mean we shouldn't avoid it. I mean, imagine how scary it must be for them."

Jack looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded. For someone like him, it wasn't a hard thing to imagine.

**In which our modern world doesn't include dragons so I needed _some _substitute. But yeahh, this was extremely short, I'm sorry for that ;o; I'm still plotting everything out, so I didn't want to mess up any future plans. **


	9. Chapter 9, Odd

**I missed these guys ;_; sorry for the incredibly long intro before there's any dialog but I promise it's all important. Sucky writing because my head hurts :'(**

At this point, Hiccup was sure this had to be illegal, whatever it was his father was doing. A bit ironic, considering Stoick's position as police chief, but Hiccup wouldn't put it past him. The man was focused on success, even if it meant sacrificing his conscience. Or, of course, the love of his son. Hiccup was sure somewhere in that determined head of his, Stoick cared. There were just other things he cared about more. Whether it was getting a promotion, a raise, some dirty cash, those things came before anything else, it seemed.

As much as Hiccup _should _have resented him for it, he didn't. He understood the need to succeed and to impress. Hell, for a while there, everything he did was to impress his _father_. That was, until he began to realize he had never paid attention.

After that realization, Hiccup began to just be himself and evaluate what was important to _him_, something his father had never done. As a result, cops were working overtime and were all over the town, and no one knew why. Including Hiccup.

And excluding Jack. The kid was more paranoid than ever, lately. After only a month of knowing one another, Jack begun to skip out on school constantly. Maybe he really was sick.

Hiccup occasionally dropped by to check on him, and he seemed his normal cheerful self, aside from a few fake coughs (yes, he knew they were fake, but he also knew by now asking questions was not a good idea.)

Hiccup also noticed Jack's father giving him _looks_. The sort of look that made someone like him want to sink into the ground or hide behind his friend. It wasn't an aggressive sort of look. It was skeptical; judgmental. He was used to that from his peers, but most of the adults in town knew who he was. Well, more importantly, who his dad was.

So, when Hiccup was sat on the end of Jack's bed, grinning triumphantly after winning yet another game of mancala, he felt a bit of uneasiness when the man peaked in the door. Though Jack quickly brushed him off, making up some dumb excuse about how he was 'too sick to eat, remember?' (which earned a confused look from his father. Gods, these two were horrible actors.)

Hiccup let out a sigh of relief after he left the room, "He sure is overprotective, huh?"

Jack hummed in agreement as he sat up straighter, "I don't mind much, though. I'm just glad he let's you stay here during the day."

Hiccup smiled a bit, "Because I'm such a threat to your wellbeing, right?"

Jack just shrugged halfheartedly, "Maybe in his mind, yeah. His own kids died about twenty years ago. After he adopted me, I guess he didn't want that to happen again," his slender hands slid across the wooden board, dropping marbles as he went, "He's trying to be careful."

The other's eyes followed Jack's hand, not answering for a moment, "Makes you wonder why he'd take in someone with your uh..." he sighed softly, "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," he said quietly, but Hiccup didn't miss the momentary panic in his eyes.

He couldn't understand what was so bad about whatever secret he was holding. And gods, was he ever curious.

"Hey, you mind if I take a short nap? You can help yourself to some lunch downstairs or something," Jack said, as he finished off the game and proceeded to shove it under his bed.

"Go ahead," Hiccup yawned, "I could use a nap myself, maybe I would if I trusted you not to dye my hair green while I was asleep," he smirked.

"Aw, you could pull it off," Jack teased, readjusting his pillow and plopping down on his back, "It'd be fun to come up with nicknames for you, though."

As Jack began to list off a bunch of child-esque insults such as 'lizard brain' or 'algae head,' Hiccup rolled his eyes and shut the door. He could still hear the teen ramble on through the door, and he couldn't help but smile.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked down the staircase. He'd learned quickly to start wearing coats in Jack's house, it felt like the north pole. The home smelled metallic, almost. Strange thing was, it was a familiar scent. Now that he thought about it, the house itself seemed familiar too. Odd.

* * *

Jack crawled out of bed an hour and a half later. He glanced in the mirror before he left his room, smiling a bit. Since he was acting as if he were sick, the slight blue tint to his skin fit the role. In fact, it made the act better. He smiled contently and strolled down the stairs, "Sorry I slept so long," he said as he approached the brunet, "You coulda woken me up."

Hiccup made room on the couch for him, "No worries. It's not like I'd be doing anything different at home, except Dad would be be breathing down my neck," he nodded his head towards the TV, which displayed the Netflix home-screen and a selection of movies.

Jack smirked, "So I didn't miss any chances to dye your hair green?" Hiccup gave him a confused look, "I mean, you didn't end up napping?"

Hiccup laughed, "I don't think I've ever even fallen asleep at anyone else's house."

Jack hummed thoughtfully, "Guess I'll just have to keep you here until you pass out, huh?"

"No way in hell I'm letting your grimy hands anywhere near my head," he grimaced, finally deciding on a comedy. Once the loading screen popped up, he directed his gaze towards Jack, "Though you must be _some _good. Isn't it super hard to get your hair that white?"

"I don't do it myself, I don't know the technicalities of it."

Complete lie. Hiccup could tell. Why would he lie about that? "Mhm... well it looks nice," he reached over to ruffle his hair with a smirk.

After the initial wince, he offered a smile, "Thanks," he pulled his feet onto the couch. He closed his eyes as the movie began. A smile pulled at his lips as he hurt Hiccup's laugh. Despite the situation he was in, he was beginning to feel content. Somehow, here, wrapped in a torn up raggedy fleece blanket and listening to someone who could become a real threat to him laugh, he was finally starting to feel happy.

**Bleh... The dialog was fun to write but the rest of it was just stuff that had to be said, so sorry if this was boring af. **


	10. Chapter 10, King of the Ocean

**There's no use in apologizing for updating late, because we all know I will next** **time**,** as well. I hope to incorporate some characters that aren't our main two soon :3**

Hiccup hadn't meant to get involved, he really hadn't. He hadn't meant to overstep boundaries. And the last thing he'd ever want to do is make Jack feel uncomfortable or unsafe, lose any sort of trust he had been gifted with... but when he'd found his friend, curled up and panting beneath the gym bleacher... well, he had to make an exception. He had last seen him not fifteen minutes ago, and he knew Jack didn't partake in any after school activities. Hiccup was curious. Not only about the obvious question, Why the hell is the kid so upset? But also, Why the hell is he here in the first place?

Jack wasn't one to intentionally lie, unless he had to. From what Hiccup could tell, at least. Last he'd seen him, he was heading out of the main door. He'd said he was in a rush, some sort of family issues. Hiccup had shrugged it off and instead found company in Ruffnut and Tuffnut, some friends of Astrid.

Eventually he'd run off to grab his P.E. clothes before the gym locked up, but... this seemed a bit more important. He silently set down his schoolbag and crept closer, "Hey, bud..." he said soothingly.

Jack's eyes shot open as he picked up his head, "What the hell are you doing here?" his voice held a surprising amount of venom, though it was mostly filled with urgency.

"Hey, hey..." Hiccup raised his arms, shoulders bouncing as he released a nervous chuckle, "I didn't mean to startle you."

"Did you follow me?" he asked stiffly, fingers clutching tight around the handle of his book bag. He was ready to run.

Hiccup was beginning to question whether or not approaching his... strange... friend was a good idea, "What? No, of course not... I... I was just grabbing my gym clothes..." he walked forward slowly but stopped the second Jack moved a muscle, in an attempt to get up. Gods, he looked like a mess.

"You have P.E. tomorrow..." he looked uncertain.

"I also have a doctor's appointment..." he smiled reassuringly, "Calm down..." he reached out to set a hand on Jack's shoulder, but he stood immediately. They stared at one another for a long moment before Jack turned away suddenly. He began to run, but didn't get far. The poor kid was shaking so bad, and Hiccup assumed he must have been too dizzy to run.

The second Jack toppled over, Hiccup was by his side, "Jack... Jack, calm down, alright?" he clasped one hand around his wrist, the other riffling around in his own backpack. He retrieved a bottle of some store-brand sports drink, shoving it in his hand, "You're dehydrated or tired o-or stressed, but you gotta calm down..."

It took a few moments for Jack to peel his tearstained face from the gymnasium flooring, "I hate you," he mumbled under his breath, not the smallest hint of joking in his voice. He attempted to get up again, but his limbs shook.

Hiccup sighed a little bit, "Okay. We can discuss that after you quit acting like a crazy person. Until then, you're drinking this," he opened the bottle for him, "Or I'm bringing you to the nurses' office," it was really the only threat he could come up with that meant shit to Jack.

His jaw clenched refusing to look at him as he snatched the bottle, "Nothing's wrong with me, I just want you to leave me alone."

Hiccup ducked his head to conceal a small smile. He was wrong. Damn, did this kid lie a lot, "No. What you want is to walk home with me, sit on your bed, play _B__attleship_ and stuff your face with cake," this time he took Jack's bag, fishing his concealer out of it, "So we're gonna go do just that. Okay?" he tilted Jack's head up, wiping his wet cheeks with his sleeve and messily applying some of the makeup over the bits of skin with a blue hue.

"You're really bad at that," Jack said with a pitiful sniffle, "You're not finger painting."

"I never claimed to be good," Hiccup finished, wiping his hands on his pants, "This stuff feels gross," he picked up both their bags, "If you start crying again, you can fix your own face."

"Shut up..." he grumbled, standing shakily, looking around nervously, "Can... can we go to your house instead?"

Hiccup frowned, "How good are you at sneaking into windows?"

"Nice place," Jack commented, "A bit dark... Looks like the _outside_ of a wood cabin," he smirked, sitting on the bed with his arms crossing over his chest, "Is this where you sulk over how you'll never be as good as me at _Battleship_?"

"No, it's where I plot my revenge on you and your shitty fleet of ships," he pulled the game out from under his bed, box covered in dust.

He smirked, "I've told you, this game works better if you don't have a strategy," he leaned against the bedframe, kicking off his shoes.

"You're just telling me that so you can win," Hiccup said dully, pulling the game from the box, handing over Jack's, "Which isn't happening."

"Wanna bet on it?" Jack smirked, "If I win, you gotta buy me one of those dollar store crowns, and I get to be declared king of the ocean," he smiled widely.

"M'kay," Hiccup hummed, "And if I win... you gotta tell me the truth about something you've lied about."

"Do I get a say in what I tell you?" he raised an eyebrow out of interest.

"Anything you want. I just wanna see how much of a big fat liar you are," he smiled, "Deal?"

"Deal."

"Now I'll never get a chance to marry Princess Fishlips," Jack faked a sob, "She's only interested in royalty."

Hiccup laughed bitterly, "I told you I'd get revenge," he grabbed Jack's wrist for the second time that day, "You're a prisoner of war now, you're never leaving."

Jack whined, flopping on his back, "I suppose now _you're _king of the ocean? First you steal my ship, then my place on the throne... soon enough, you'll be stealing my princess."

"Not interested," Hiccup chuckled, "I've got all the entertainment I need. Besides," he flopped on his stomach next to where Jack was on his back, "You've got a lie to confess to."

"I didn't think I'd actually lose..." he groaned, "But... fine," a smirk played at his lips, turning on his side to look at his friend, "I don't hate you."

**Good news is, I think I have a pretty clear idea for next chapter so it shouldn't be tooo long until the next one. Sorry for the wait ;-; btw, things will be explained! The whole breakdown was for a reason, I just can't explain it this chapter.**


	11. Chapter 11, Missing

**Thanks to all the new readers, sorry for my lazy updating :'C**

"I don't hate you," Jack smirked at his friend, crossing his arms behind his head, which was set comfortably on Hiccup's bed, "At least... not unless you _do_ steal my princess, then we'll have some issues."

Hiccup rolled his eyes, "I knew that, I wanted some _news_."

"Nope. You didn't specify," he shut his eyes. A small pause and a shaky breath, "...and I'm sorry for saying that. I wish I could explain. You deserve an explanation- for _everything_, but I can't give it."

"I know," Hiccup said quietly, taking the opportunity to study Jack's sloppily made-up face, from earlier in the day,"I'm more worried about your... wellbeing... than I am about explanations."

A smile pulled at Jack's lips. He was being sincere, that much he could tell. And god, did he ever appreciate it, "Thank you."

"No problem," Hiccup sat up, "I should probably be walking you home soon."

Jack sat up along with him, shoulders suddenly tense, "Why?"

"Dad's sorta a grump," he laughed, "Don't think you'd really want to be around him, and he gets home in..." he checked his watch, "'Bout twenty minutes."

"Right... Yeah, you're right, I should be going," he grabbed his bag.

"You want me to help you?" Hiccup offered an apologetic smile, but Jack shook his head.

"No. Dad'll be pissed at you if he sees this is why I was late getting home." he slid on the shoulder-straps.

"Oh, right," he shook his head, standing to unlock the door to his room, "And... hey, good luck with whatever was bothering you earlier," Hiccup ground his shoe into the carpet, "You could try talking to the school counselor about it?"

"Nah," Jack smiled one of his tight smiles, as he climbed up onto a wooden chair, opening the latch of the window, "Doubt she'd be any help. Thank you... I needed this. A break," he pushed open the window, and with a half hearted wave, and grunt as he hoisted himself out, Jack was gone.

* * *

Hiccup stared at his feet as he strained his ears, listening to the doorbell ring from outside Jack's home. It was the third time that week he'd tried, and yet no answer. He waited for a reasonable amount of time, before turning around dejectedly, sitting on the porch step.

Pulling his phone from his pocket, he swiped at the screen until his messages from Jack appeared. He grimaced as he saw no new texts. Only a '_Thank you.' _from three weeks ago, which was just about _no _help.

"Fuck," Hiccup grumbled under his breath. His finger hovered over the call button, but honestly, what would be the point? Jack's phone had been going straight to voicemail for weeks, like hell this was going to be any different. Instead, Hiccup opted for a different route. Rather, a different friend.

* * *

Astrid heaved a sigh as she got out of the car. She strolled right up to the porch, where Hiccup was leaning against a support beam, "What's this about a break-in?"

Hiccup offered her nothing but a death glare, but it looked more pitiful than anything due to his tired eyes, "It's not a break-in," he said the last word in a hushed voice, "We aren't even going inside. Just... making sure that broken window is just that," he shifted uncomfortably, "He hasn't been in school for weeks, Astrid. His best friend hasn't even heard from him," okay, maybe that was stretching the truth a bit. In the time Jack had been gone, Hiccup had gotten to know Ana better. Come to find out, she knew just about nothing. She'd never even been to his house, "His bedroom window is shattered, a-and his dad's never here but his car is."

Astrid rose a brow, "Ever heard of a family vacation? You know, you're more likely to get broken into when you're on vacation," nonetheless, Astrid pulled Hiccup to stand up by the arm, "But whatever, today's been boring anyways," she looked over the house, "You know... it wouldn't be all that hard to get to his window from that tree over there," she hummed, "You could go up there and take a peak? Make sure there's no corpses laying around?"

He glared.

"Or y'know, we could always just kick in the back door or something."

"Fine, fine," Hiccup stomped over to the tree, "You coming?"

"After you," Astrid smirked as she watched her friend try to climb up to the trunk, only resulting in bark-burn and splinters. He cursed under his breath, "...Alright, new plan. You wait by the front door and I open it _for _you," she waited until Hiccup got out of the way, before expertly climbing up the trunk and to the branch.

Hiccup was too worried and too damn exhausted to argue with her, so he just stood at the door, not-so patiently. The door opened with a creek not five minutes later.

"No corpses... but definitely not a robbery either," she reported with a frown, "There's nothing to see really but dust. You sure he didn't move?"

"Yes...I think," Hiccup sighed, "So... he's safe at least?" he picked at the paint pealing off the doorframe, "God, I'm being crazy... Sorry for dragging you out here, Astrid."

She chuckled, "It's no problem. How about I drive you home, so you can nap?"

"Yeah, sounds good," he said dully, walking alongside his friend and sitting in the passengers seat.

Astrid started up the car, "You want to stop for fast food?" she asked a minute or so later. A few moments passed before she heard the reply of a soft snore.

**Man, the pacing in this one was utter shit but I honestly don't have time to fix it this week. We're moving across the country in 3 days so I'm pretty tired :'( I'm going to be uploading &amp; re-editing all this on AO3 soon so maybe I'll fix this entire chapter then.**


	12. Chapter 12, Hiccup the Mama Bird

**Please forgive me, I had no time to proofread. Got this one out quick as a thanks for 100 follows! Enjoy c:**

Stoick was less than friendly, these days. He was tense and short tempered. When he spoke, as of late, more often than not, all he offered were snippets of sentences. And when his replies _weren't_ short, they were long, gruff rants about nothing, which always found their way back to complaining about work. The man had been out of the house more than ever, and he refused to offer any explanation. Hiccup was growing worried for his father, which in itself was a miracle, considering their current relationship. But when he heard his father getting yelled at over the phone, or when he walked into the kitchen to find the man at the table, passed out in exhaustion... His heart tugged with sympathy, the slightest bit.  
But damn, was it ever inconvenient.  
Hiccup had his own things to worry about, and his father's unexplained irritability wasn't making things any easier. Hiccup often wondered just how nice the benefits of his job were, if he'd never once considered leaving.  
Nevertheless, if his father refused to leave his job, Hiccup could at least use his father's temper as an excuse to leave the house. Which he did quite often. However, as winter was setting in, it became harder and harder. The only thing that made Hiccup push himself out the door was the slight chance he'd stumble upon his lost friend.  
Hiccup was being paranoid, and he knew it. They weren't close, so it wouldn't be out of the ordinary for Jack to move without saying anything. Yet, something told Hiccup that he would have.  
So, stepped out the front door- with a promise of bringing back pizza for his father, and took a deep breath through his nose. As the chilly winds pierced through his skin, the teen ventured forward, unsure of his destination. All he really knew was that somewhere along his journey, he had to stop at Pizza Hut. So, he slid on some headphones, pulled up his hood and walked down the slippery sidewalk. He bumped into a faceless stranger or two, as Hiccup often did, going wherever he so desired. As long as wherever he desired wasn't Jack's home.

...  
It was almost comical, how close they were without knowing it. Jack's hood almost flew completely off when some idiot teen knocked into him. He quickly pulled it pack up, hiding any sign of white hair, and pulling his grey and red knit scarf back up to his nose, all while still moving. Jack needed to hurry, get out of sight fast.  
His eyes scanned the roads ahead of him, and cursed everyone involved for not creating him with some kind of internal GPS. His hands clenched around his backpack, and prayed to anyone out there it was the right turn. Jack had been outside too long, and he couldn't risk a wrong turn.  
Much to his relief, things began to appear familiar. One more turn past the dog park, one block past the gargoyle garden decoration... A relieved smile pulled at his lips, his first in quite a while. Jack cautiously approached the window, tapping the glass lightly before peaking in... Shit. He hadn't even _considered _Hiccup not being home.

He _really_ didn't want to sneak in, too many things could go wrong. So he's just... wait?

...

Hiccup trudged through the growing piles of snow on the sidewalk, only source of warmth a pizza box in his hands. As he approached his home, he dug around for his keys in his pocket. The wind began to die down, and a quiet sneeze could be easily heard from the side of his house. Hiccup raised a brow out of interest, spotting what seemed to be a half asleep homeless kid, leaning on a tree trunk by his window, "You know, the home of police chief really isn't the best place to trespass and crash," he was about to offer him a blanket or some sort of help, but his mouth froze half open. The kid raised his head, and Hiccup's eyes locked with his, and he had to refrain himself from cursing.

"Y-yeah, well I was kinda hoping to be invited in," Jack offered a crooked smile as Hiccup stared.

"Wh...where were you?" was all he could manage as Jack stood, and Hiccup held back the urge to hug him. Jack crouched down, opening the window.

"Can't say," he said under his breath, shuddering at the overwhelming warmth, coming from inside.

"You... can't say..." Hiccup repeated slowly as he crawled in after Jack, bending the pizza box some in the process.

Jack sighed as he sat at Hiccup's desk chair, pulling his feet up and let it swivel, "I can't say much? All I can really tell you is I don't have a family to go back to right now, and I trust you more than Ana not to blab about where I am."

Hiccup continued to stare at the teen as if he were a ghost. Somehow, he'd expected more of a reunion than a reluctant conversation, "What happened to your dad?"

"I don't know," for a moment, Jack let himself show a twinge of pain; regret, but it was gone in an instant.

"Are you alright?" Hiccup simply sat on his desk,"I mean... I've been really worried. Hell, I was worried before you disappeared into thin air," he laughed a nervous laugh.

"Yeah," Jack didn't like the way he had to look up at Hiccup to speak, but he was far too exhausted to stand, "I just need someplace to crash for a night, and honestly, maybe someone to calm me down. If you can't provide that, it's okay. Just... at least let me get earned up."

Hiccup frowned, "Are you crazy?" He swung his legs onto the front of his desk so he was fully facing Jack. He pulled down his hood and unwrapped the scarf, "I'm not shoving you back out there. If anything, I'm shoving you under the bed to hide from my dad," he mindfully folded the knit scarf and set it on his desk.

"You mentioned him being chief of police?" Jack looked up at Hiccup, nose a bit flushed from the cold winds, making anything he said a tad bit less serious-sounding.

"Yeah. Not a very good one, but hey, he's trying," Hiccup hopped off his desk to pull off Jack's now-wet coat, replacing it with the quilt from his bed.

Jack nodded, as if Hiccup had just confirmed something he'd long suspected, "Last time I was here, he was off work this time of day. Am I right to assume this is true today?"

Hiccup shook his head, "He's working from home today... Actually, I got to go give him this before he throws a fit," Hiccup picked up the pizza box, "I'll bring you back some soup?"

"If you've got any," Jack smiled sheepishly, his stomach growling loudly in response, "Thanks, mom," he added as Hiccup was about to exit.

"Yeah, yeah," Hiccup chuckled, pausing as he set his hand on the door knob, "And Jack... I'm really glad you're here."

**Y'all should give a listen to The Bells by April Smith, very fitting of these two (v. 1 Hiccup, v. 2 Jack, yepyep)**


	13. Chapter 13, Jack the Clumsier Mama Bird

**Let's play a fun game of 'Count the accidental innuendos' because there's a lot. Also, this chapter could potentially (?) be triggering for some people. Nothing too bad, but thought I should mention it. **

**How weird is it I'm updating twice in a week?**

It had proven to be quite the challenge, keeping Jack hidden from Stoick, but together they'd managed it. Jack had apparently caught a cold, so he had been choking back coughs the whole night. That, and Stoick constantly coming in to gripe at his son, only to apologize minutes later, made for an unfortunate situation. Jack had spent half the night in the closet. Though Hiccup insistently apologized, Jack seemed plenty happy. He was burrowed in layers of blankets with long-cold soup on his lap, threatening to spill, and a Kleenex box settled next to him.

After Stoick had _finally _drifted off to sleep, (they could easily tell, one could hear his snores even from another story of the home) Hiccup locked his bedroom door, and opened his closet, "You can come out now," he informed in a quiet voice.

Jack groggily rubbed his eyes, "Don't wanna," he practically whined, grabbing for his glass of water. He made a satisfied sigh as he gulped it down and excess water dribbled off his chin and soaked into the blankets, too sleepy to notice.

Hiccup simply rolled his eyes, "Fine, then I'm taking the bed," he took another box of tissues from the top shelf, setting it next to Jack in case he ran out.

"Go for it," he shut his eyes, and immediately appeared less intimidating. Almost vulnerable, actually. Though, Hiccup reasoned that he probably _was _vulnerable, right now.

"Alright... Feel free to kick me out if you have any troubles," he leaned down to take the soup bowl and set it on the end table, "Night."

Hiccup double checked the door was locked and that Jack was still breathing- he could never be too careful, before collapsing in bed.

...

"Umf- fuck," Hiccup gasped. His left hand shot to his right forearm, hissing in pain. He was expecting it to be dampened with blood, but when he clenched his teeth and opened his eyes, Hiccup was surprised to see his bare arm, with not even a scratch. Of course, that didn't get rid of the pain, or the confusion.

_"Stay still,"_ he heard a distant voice command. It somehow sounded familiar, though he had no clue why, _"It'll be easier for both of us that way."_

At this point, Hiccup was curled up in a ball, simply at the pain. Fuzzy images flashed by anytime he closed his eyes. All he could see was a blindingly white ceiling and a brunette woman, who seemed to be holding him down. Something shiny and metallic was clutched in her hand, and it _definitely_ had blood on it. When he opened his eyes, however, he was in his own dimly lit room. Books scattered all over the place, torn up carpeting, and his friend still curled up in the closet.

Hiccup was panting as he forced himself to sit up, wincing every time he felt another invisible, cold hand try and hold him down, _"Sir, he's being troublesome." _

"J-jack..." Hiccup called out desperately for help. He... he didn't know what was happening, but whatever it was, was painful enough to get a tear or two out of him. Only silence from Jack followed, and Hiccup let out a frustrated groan. The pain was only worsening, and when he shut his eyes he could see multiple people hovering over him, _"Three-eighteen..." _A man called in a hauntingly calm voice. If anything, he appeared irritated, _"Would you __**please**_ _settle down and let us get our work done?" _

He turned his head, (well more the visuals panned downwards, Hiccup had no control in this scene. All he could do was watch and feel what was happening.) and watched the man who was talking from behind a computer monitor. When his head turned, however, he could also spot bright red blood against pale blue skin. His own, it seemed. His body went limp, and his vision grew fuzzier, _"Good boy."_

At this point, Hiccup was so caught up in what was happening, the pain he was _feeling, _he'd completely forgotten about calling for help. Hiccup was curled up in a ball, pillow damp and more tears running down his cheeks. He was practically whimpering, and he didn't even know it.

The man was walking closer, hands clasped together behind his back, but he was getting blurrier and blurrier. The pain was beginning to fade, and those cold hands were replaced by a warm one, "Hiccup?"

Said teen opened his watering eyes, trembling beneath Jack's hand. The pain was completely gone now. For that, at least, he was grateful.

"What happened?" Jack asked in a quiet voice, helping his friend sit up.

"Pain...voices..." He said in a whisper, staring down blankly at his lap, "I... It felt like a dream, but I don't think it was. It _hurt."_

"Oh," Jack said under his breath, not particularly surprised, "I-I'm sorry, Hiccup," he said it with a hint of guilt in his voice, which only confused Hiccup further.

Wiping tears from his cheeks, he shook his head, "It's okay. I'm fine now. It just scared me a bit..." He finally looked up, nudging Jack's side weakly with his shoulder, "Go back to sleep, you're sick."

"And _you're_ crying," Jack shook his head, "So you said you heard voices?" he pulled his legs onto the bed, sitting cross-legged.

"Yeah..." Hiccup looked Jack up and down uneasily. He hadn't really been this attentive since he'd arrived, "I mean... I saw things, too. People," he frowned.

Jack's voice was scratchy from coughing, and when he whispered it was almost silent, "What all did you hear? See?"

Hiccup stared down at his arm, still stinging if he were to touch it, "I don't know," he shrugged off Jack's hand, "Forget it. I'm fine now."

Jack sighed. Now wasn't the time to get curious, he'd be no better than Pitch; exposing someone's fear for his own gain, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry," Jack said quietly, "No more questions."

If Hiccup had been looking, he'd have seen the reluctant look on Jack's face. Or how he'd sat in silence as he gained and lost courage so many times, in the course of a few seconds. Or how clumsy he had been when he wrapped his arms around Hiccup's slim build, attempting to comfort him in a way he didn't really know how. He'd never really _given_ a hug before. Maybe a quick hug to Ana, or a one sided hug from North, but Jack usually wasn't the one doing the comforting.

Evidently, Hiccup was far more used to them. He simply buried his face in his friend's shoulder as he shook, "Thank you," he whispered.

**#nohomo**

**Congratulations to any of you who is just finishing their first week of school, I start mine this Wednesday c: Also, hey, if anyone knows of any hospital/sick kid HiJack AUs please let me know, I can't find any. **


	14. Chapter 14, Made to Measure

**Very unhappy with the way this chapter flows, but I wanted to update asap. This also contains a scene that's in literally any rotg fanfic, and it was very hard to write because of that ;-;**

Jack watched in silence as the vibrant morning sun shone on the dark wood flooring of Hiccup's room. It had been slowly creeping closer and closer to the bed, staining everything it touched orange. He'd had to hold back a chuckle when the heat crept along Hiccup's face, causing his lips and nose twitch. Jack smiled a little bit, attempting to detangle himself from the loose hold Hiccup and his blankets still had on him, from the night before. It was almost eight in the morning, now. As much as Jack enjoyed peering into his friend's dreams and basking in absolute boredom, he thought if he awoke Hiccup now, it wouldn't be too bad. He looked at Hiccup's face guiltily, as he thought about the night prior.

In retrospect, he should have known staying with Hiccup wasn't any better than what he'd been doing. He could hear the creaking of the floorboards from upstairs, and each time was just as anxiety inducing as the last. Jack couldn't stay here long, and he'd known that since the beginning. But the truth was, he couldn't stay anywhere long, and he was _lonely._ He just needed a friend for a day; one last happy memory. So he could at least tell himself he'd done something right, in his time on the outside.

Said 'something right' rolled over back on top of Jack, and they were where they had started. Jack groaned, "Wake up, you're like, a billion degrees, Hiccup."

"Fhunuck ythou..." came Hiccup's muffled reply, picking his head up from the pillow and rubbing his eyes. He examined his surroundings. It took him a few moments to speak, "Y'know, when you'd hugged me, I wasn't planning on sharing a bed with you."

"Neither was I," Jack retorted, "You fell asleep on _me._"

"Oh," Hiccup frowned down at the blankets, "Eh- sorry, then."

Jack shrugged off his apology in favor of standing and stretching, "Aruaru," he waved his hand, "I should... probably get going," Jack appeared suddenly sullen. He choked back a cough and scanned the room for his bag, frowning as he came up with nothing.

"Already? You don't want to stay for breakfast or-" Hiccup sighed, pulling it out from beneath his bed. This was Jack, he couldn't expect anything less than this, "Are you going to be alright?"

Jack simply shrugged, not intent on answering. He riffled through his bag, pulling out a granola bar, "Can I stash this stuff here?" He tossed the bag in Hiccup's closet.

"So you're coming back?" Hiccup asked uneasily. Something about Jack's demeanor told him otherwise, despite his words.

"You ask too many questions," Jack responded dully, opening the package of crumbly granola. His mood had completely shifted from just a minute ago, and it irked Hiccup.

"That's a completely reasonable inquiry, Jack," Hiccup's voice shook, "I just... I need to know what's going on... Right now," he hoped he sounded more convincing than he was.

"No," was all Jack said. He didn't want to leave off on a fight, and he wasn't partial on answering any questions.

"If you aren't coming back, what's the point of hiding things?"

"Not everything I do is for my own sake, Hiccup."

"What could possibly be such a big deal that- that you'd have to keep it from me? Or that you'd have to go _missing_? Or that you'd have to not come back?" Hiccup stood up shakily, feeling pretty damn ridiculous in his pajama pants, and sleep still in his eyes. He was exhausted, and especially tired of dancing around the truth.

"Don't ask questions you don't want an answer to. You're curious and intrigued. Getting involved wouldn't be worth the knowledge," Jack sighed, "Listen... I appreciate what you've done for me but... I don't want you to end up like my dad, Hiccup. Whatever it is that happened to him."

The brunet stared at his own feet, "Wherever he is, I don't doubt for a second he doesn't regret knowing the truth. He protected you well, and I'm sure he knew the possible consequences."

Jack opened his mouth to speak, but Hiccup wasn't finished.

"But he's gone now. For another day, or forever, maybe you know. But the facts are, you would never have come to me if you had someone else protecting you. I don't have shit to live for, right now, and I want to, so, so badly. So just..." He took a shaky breath, "I don't care if I end up doing the dead man's float _tomorrow._ Just let me try to help."

Jack's lips pursed, silent for a few moments, "I...I don't know what happened to my dad," he stated quietly, "He could have just left, stress of housing me too much, or he could be dead," he glanced at Hiccup out of the corner of his eye, "You're telling me, you'd have no problem being in his place right now?"

"Yes," Hiccup replied with no hesitation.

Jack twiddled his thumbs, "Fine... But I'm not discussing this here. Meet me tonight by erm..." he bit his lower lip in concentration, "Mulberry Lake. Bring my bag and some hot chocolate in thermoses. Eleven pm," He'd had probably sounded a lot more serious if he'd not ended his request with a sneezing fit.

"And cold meds..." Hiccup frowned, "You promise you'll be there?"

"No. I can't promise anything, these days," he put on his scarf, pulling his hood up, "I'll try, alright?"

"Alright," Hiccup said quietly. Jack nodded his head, standing on a chair and opening the window, "Be safe."

...

Even in the dim lighting, from the streetlights, the park was a sight to see. Evergreens scattered the grounds, sprinkled with a light coating of snow. The maples and magnolias, however, had their bare branches buried in snow. In the summertime, fireflies occupied the park, and it was always one of Hiccup's favorite sights; he'd told Jack this, once.

On the southern end of Mulberry Park was a small lake; a pond really, that separated higher class and lower class neighborhoods. Next to the small beach were a few picnic tables, completely abandoned, as the park closed at dusk. Well, completely abandoned, aside from Jack.

He laid on his back, hands at his sides and pressed up against the wood of the picnic table. He was completely vulnerable, laid out with his eyes shut, for anyone to see. He'd given up.

Snow crunched beneath someone's feet, and Jack didn't really care whether or not it was Hiccup. The footsteps got louder and louder, then stopped, replaced by the sound of breathing, "If you've been sleeping like this every night, no wonder you've got a cold."

Jack opened his eyes as Hiccup sat on the bench, next to the table Jack was lying on. Despite Hiccup's calm exterior, his thoughts were too jumbled to read. The kid was nervous; scared even. And if Jack wasn't wrong, he was shaking too, "Hey," was his only response, sliding off the table. He instead settled on the bench opposite to his friend, "Did you bring the hot chocolate?"

Hiccup set a warm thermos in Jack's hands in response. He then removed Jack's backpack from his shoulders, setting it on the table as well, "What the hell is going on?" He asked after a bit of hesitation.

"You're going to get yourself killed," Jack replied, twisting open the cap and sipping the steaming beverage, "You know that right?"

"I don't know how I could, I've got no information to make assumptions off of," his fingers fidgeted nervously, "But... That's not going to scare me off either."

A smile pulled at Jack's lips, "Let's see if you'll say that after tonight. Feel free to brush me off as crazy, if it keeps you safer," Jack unzipped and rummaged through his backpack, pulling out a flashlight and small book. There was nothing on the dark brown cover, but scratches and dirt. The pages appeared worn and yellowed, as Jack flipped through them.

"What is that?" Hiccup asked quietly. Somehow, this isn't what he'd been expecting.

"This-" Jack flipped on the flashlight once he'd found the correct page. He turned the book around, so Hiccup was looking at it the right direction, and shined the light on the paper, "Was me."

Hiccup examined the paper closer. The pages were blank, no lines, no writing, nothing. All there was, was an old photograph taped to the page. It contained two figures. One was a short young girl, possibly around ten years old, with her cheeks puffed out. The other was an older boy, about fourteen, with messy hair and a crooked grin. The two shared brown eyes and brunette hair, and were posing with silly faces in front of an aquarium, a pufferfish behind them. As cute as the scene was, neither of them looked like his friend. And even more curious, the date on the photograph was _1996._ Hiccup looked back up Jack with a confused expression, "..._what?_"

"That picture was taken a few months before we moved to town," Jack explained, "My mother, sister, and I."

"I repeat: what?" Hiccup stared down at the photograph again, "You... You couldn't have even been born when this photo was taken," he shook his head and looked up at Jack for explanation.

"A couple weeks after we'd come here, she and I had come to this park. Y'know, checking out the area," Jack continued, ignoring his questions, "A-and we went skating and..." He sighed, "Well... I fell through. I was dumb, it was my own fault, whatever," Jack shook his head, "Thing was, I was fine. Just... blacked out. An ambulance showed up- but it didn't take me to the hospital."

It took a moment for Hiccup to even process what Jack was telling him, "And you're saying all this happened in the nineties?"

"Kinda missing the point, but yeah," Jack offered a tired smile, sipping his drink.

"S-sorry," Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck, "Where did it take you, then?"

"I'm not sure..." Jack's eyes narrowed in concentration, "It's all so... Blurry now. I just remember a man holding me down a-and... A pain in my chest. I started getting sleepy and... Then I was just... Gone. All I can remember is darkness all around me."

"So you got kidnapped?"

"No, Hiccup," his fingers began fidgeting, and he looked up at his friend, "I died."

**Ngg this was so hard to write...**


	15. Chapter 15, Unlikely Hero

**Things are getting a little crazy. This is what I get for reading conspiracy theories in my free time.**

"I'm beginning to understand what you meant by crazy..." Hiccup laughed nervously, his own metal thermos warming his hands. Somehow, he wasn't as surprised as he should have been. Here was his perfectly sane friend, claiming to have died in 1996. That should have made Hiccup a _bit _skeptical. But... he wasn't. Hiccup believed every word Jack spoke, and wanted to know more.

"It's not too late to go home. Forget about this."

"No. I... I want to be here and help," Hiccup insisted, "Please... Go on," he twisted his cap open, the scent of cocoa filling the chilly air.

"Alright," Jack gulped. He'd not expected to have to go any further than this. At least, he'd hoped he wouldn't have to. Shutting his eyes, the teen continued his story, "The person you see now was born in 1997, same as you. As far back as I can remember, I'd been living-" he paused for a moment to open his eyes and hum thoughtfully, "A bit west of here. At the time, I didn't remember much of anything from before. I-"

Hiccup stopped him, shaking his head, "Jack, you're making no sense. What do you mean by _the person I see now_?"

"Just... Let me finish, alright?" Jack stammered. Hiccup nodded his head, and Jack took a shaky breath before continuing, "I grew up in a laboratory, in town, run by the same people who had taken me, a year before. I didn't remember anything from my life before, for quite a while. They were beginning to think it hadn't worked."

"What hadn't worked?"

"They'd been trying to pass down memories. From... from a dead body to a living one."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow, "How does that work?"

Jack bit at his lip, "I was young, when I'd left. I hadn't understood everything... but the way it was explained to me, the few times it was..." Jack hummed in thought, "Instinct evolves with a species, which would suggest that somehow, memories can be passed down through DNA. They researched it, a while back, with rats, but, eventually people got curious enough to test it out on humans."

"Which... makes you one of the test subjects?" Hiccup inquired.

"Yeah," Jack bit down on his lip, "I guess the kid that died in the nineties wasn't _me_, exactly, but the memories are so vivid..." Jack released a held back breath.

Hiccup stared in silence at the rotting wood of the tabletop, "You aren't pulling my leg? This is all... this is all true?"

"Yeah," the shaking boy swallowed, "That's how it started at least. I wasn't the only test subject; there were dozens of others, as I was told. Eventually the study came to an end, I- well, we, weren't of any use to them, anymore. We couldn't be let go, either. It's not like any of this was legal. So we were continued to be used as, well-" he grimaced, "Lab rats, I guess. Most of the other kids died as a result," he frowned, "Though, I'm sure they're all dead now."

"Wow," was all Hiccup could manage. The way Jack could so casually say something so gruesome... It was a little freaky.

"Yeah," Jack smiled an exhausted smile, "I would be too, but my dad..." he sighed, "He'd worked for the company as a security guard. He knew how shitty everything was and... he got me out of there," Jack's voice cracked, and his fingers gripped the table, until his knuckles turned white, "Ever since then he's spent his life protecting me and he's gone now."

If Hiccup wasn't sure Jack was telling the truth before, he definitely was now, "Jack..." Hiccup stood up in favor of sitting next to his friend, "It was his choice. And like I said before... I'd met your dad. He loved you. Even in the worst case scenario... I'm positive that, as long as you're safe, he wouldn't regret a thing."

"Even if that is the case," Jack paused, sipping the cocoa, "I miss him. And he doesn't deserve any of this shit- and neither do you. That's... that's why I was going to leave this morning. I don't want anyone else getting hurt, to protect me. Especially... especially not anyone I care about," Jack avoided his friend's gaze, in favor of putting everything back in his bag. His voice wasn't shaking anymore, but his hands were, and his usual intense eyes grew shiny.

"You were going to go back there? Why?" the brunette stared at his friend. He himself was shaking now. This was all so unbelievable.

"He's looking for me."

"_He?_"

"-And he'll find ways to get rid of whoever keeps him from me. Including you."

"_Jack. _Who is _he_?"

Jack's shoulders fell, "His name is Pitch. He oversaw all of the studies dealing with genetics," he chewed his lip, "He's made arrangements with your dad, and they... I think they know who I am now. If any police officers see me, or Pitch himself... I'm gone."

Hiccup's body tensed, "That would explain a lot... but you know police patrol this area pretty often, right? This isn't exactly the safest place to be right now, for you."

Jack sat up straighter, "Wait- you know where officers are stationed?"

"I mean to an extent, but yeah-"

"_Hiccup,_" Jack genuinely smiled, "That's already so much help, you have no idea. Where's an area you know would be safe?"

"I think I know a place," Hiccup smiled.

...

"This isn't a permanent arrangement but... my grandpa died a few months ago and the place was left to Dad," Hiccup unlocked the door to the small house, "Sorry there's no electricity."

"It's no problem..." Jack stepped into the living room, floorboards squeaking, "How long until your dad sells the place?"

"I don't think he plans to," Hiccup's head shook, "It was his childhood home, and I think he wants it to stay in the family."

"Oh," Jack had become considerably more quiet since they'd left the park. Hiccup couldn't blame him. It didn't seem like he'd ever talked to anyone about these things. Hiccup wondered how he'd ever gotten in the position that Jack trust him enough to spill everything. They were friends, sure. Possibly even close friends, but it hadn't sunk in yet how desperate Jack must be to go to _Hiccup_ for help.

"Still, be careful. Dad doesn't visit much, but I wouldn't get too comfortable if I were you."

"I lived in my dad's house for eight years, and I had never let myself grow comfortable. Good thing, too. Trust me, it won't be an issue," the frosty haired teen sat down in the corner on the old carpeting, despite the many seating options in the room.

A smile pulled at Hiccup's lips, sitting next to Jack. He pulled his knees to his chin, mimicking Jack, "You don't bleach your hair, do you?"

"Mister Haddock, asking the real questions right here," Jack smirked, shaking his head, "Dye won't take to it."

"It's kinda cool," Hiccup commented, reaching a hand to ruffle it. Though, he immediately regretted it when Jack flinched away. Hiccup lowered his hand, "Sorry," he whispered, "I should have warned you."

"It's fine. But yeah, I could use a warning next time," Jack murmured to his friend.

"Alright."

The two boys sat in silence, simply enjoying the chance to relax. Crickets chirped and cicadas sung outside the broken window. The moon sent a beam in through said window, illuminating the dusty room. Jack curled up into himself, leaning on Hiccup. A silent sign of gratitude.

"Hey," Hiccup said quietly, "I'm going to hug you now."

"I'd like that."

Hiccup turned his body to face Jack's, allowing him to burrow his nose in his shoulder. Hiccup shut his eyes as he held his friend. He felt fragile, for once. Like if he squeezed too hard, Jack's body would shatter like glass. Hiccup felt like an idiot. Until now, he'd been treating Jack like a mystery to be solved. A curiosity that nagged in the back of his head. But that wasn't Jack at all. He wasn't one of Hiccup's murder mystery novels. Rather, he was a child. A small child who put on a brave face as he hid from the boogyman.

"You'll be alright. We'll both be alright."

**Just so you guys know, the last two chapter titles have been songs by The Hoosiers that sort of completely fit this fic. Also let me know if this all made sense to you guys? I've read up on this subject a lot (it's pretty freaky :0) so it's hard to tell what's common knowledge and stuff. Hope you guys enjoyed all this freaky weirdness c: I didn't want to leave you guys on a cliffhanger, so I updated pretty quick C:**


	16. Chapter 16, Early Morning Contemplations

**Thanks for making it to 100 follows a little while back :) **

Hiccup tried to silence his rustling, as he searched the dark room for his coat. He could hear Jack's shallow breathing, and he knew he had to be gone quick. Logically speaking, it wasn't likely to happen; the freaky dream thing Hiccup had had the displeasure of experiencing. Jack had slept in the same room as Hiccup countless times, and it had never happened before. Yet, Hiccup didn't want to risk it.

Hiccup sighed, relieved, as his hands gripped onto his newly found coat. He was out the door in a heartbeat. The teenager was two blocks down the road before he'd even thought about his game plan. He had to come back, of course. He had asked for this, and wasn't going to just run away from Jack and his problems. Things could be worse. Jack could be a wanted criminal. He could be a serial killer. He could be a country music singer.

But Jack wasn't any of those things. Jack was a good guy, who had lived a _very_ unfortunate life, and _still_ hadn't come out of it an asshole. Maybe if he had, Hiccup would have kept walking home. Told his dad everything he knew and _finally_ gain the man's approval.

Thing was, Jack _wasn't_ an asshole, and Hiccup didn't keep walking. Instead, he sat on a park bench and stared up at the sky. The sun was beginning to rise behind his head, but he could still see the moon off in the distance.

"...fuck," Hiccup cursed under his breath. All of this was so unbelievable, and it made his head spin. This was the kind of thing he read about on creepypasta when he was eight. The worst part was, he believed Jack more, now, than he did as a naive child. Everything he said lined up, and if it were a lie, Jack could have thought up better. So, here Hiccup was, harboring a kid he'd known _nothing _about, until tonight. Harboring a kid who _very well could be_ lying about everything. Even if he wasn't, what the hell could Hiccup do?

That's when it finally occurred to Hiccup. Jack didn't want him here to save him. He didn't _have_ to be a hero. He merely had to be a friend, until Jack found his own way out of his situation. Maybe Hiccup could help him along the way, but he wasn't expected to fix everything. All he had to do was turn around and walk back. Though... he had a few stops to make.

...

Jack awoke to the sound of a lawnmower next door. There was a blanket wrapped tight around his body, that he didn't remember falling asleep with. Despite this, Jack was shivering. There was no way his hot cocoa could still be warm, but he thought perhaps he could use the thermos for some hot water. But when he opened it, it wasn't the scent of spoiled milk he smelled. Instead, it was freshly roasted coffee. He relaxed at just the scent, taking a sip with a smile. He'd not had his routine coffee since North had gone missing. He brought the beverage to his lips, and just the taste made him feel at home.

The floorboards creaked as Hiccup walked in, from the kitchen. He held a plate with a sandwich in one hand, and the other held his phone. The boy stared at the brightly lit screen, only looking away once he saw Jack staring up at him. He pocketed it, surprised to see Jack awake.

"Morning, sleeping beauty. You always sleep in this late?"

Jack was silent for a few moments. He watched as Hiccup sat on the couch, "...I guess not."

"I'm sure you're tired out from yesterday," Hiccup smiled, taking half of the sandwich and pushing the plate forward, "You hungry?"

Jack nodded and pushed himself forward to slide on the hardwood. He stopped at the coffee table, taking his piece and nibbling at it, "Where'd you get the food from?"

"Went shopping," Hiccup answered simply, "If you're gonna be staying here, you should be able to make yourself some meals. You can't refrigerate anything but there's running water and a dozen cans of spaghettiOs."

Jack broke off a piece of bread and ate it, "Where's the money coming from?"

"Dad."

He smiled a little, "Somehow, I don't feel too guilty."

"You shouldn't," Hiccup shook his head and took a sip of milk, "Apparently he's to blame for you being in this situation at all."

"I guess," Jack sighed gently, "But... It wouldn't be out of the question he's been lied to. He might just think I'm a criminal."

Hiccup frowned, "You think?"

Jack nodded, sitting cross-legged, "Wouldn't surprise me. You know your dad better than I do. Would he have _needed_ to be lied to?"

Swallowing a bite of the sandwich, Hiccup stopped to think, "I... I've never thought of my dad as cruel. Just... very confused. It's always a possibility he thinks he's doing what's right... I guess."

Jack frowned a little bit, "I don't want to ruin whatever bond the two of you share," he pursed his lips in thought, "Especially if he's not to blame," Jack finished off the last of his sandwich. He laid back on the dusty floor, chest rising and falling as he breathed slowly.

"Don't worry about it. My dad and I are never really civil, anyhow," Hiccup sat back on the couch, "You know, there's furniture for a reason."

"Ya don't say," Jack's body shook now as he chuckled. He propped himself up on his elbows to look at his friend, "I'm good," there were a few silent moments, and he appeared hesitant again, "I'm sure you're pretty freaked out about all this, huh?"

"Completely freaked out," Hiccup nodded, avoiding Jack's eyes, "It's just... All new to me. But don't think I'm getting scared away. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. I only need a while to process it."

"You're still ridiculously calm about all this," Jack shook his head.

"And you're ridiculously worried," Hiccup countered, "I want to learn more, and I want to help whenever I get the chance."

Jack sighed, "Let's see if you're still saying that in a few months. This... Keeping me here... It's going to be a hassle. I don't know how much trouble you could get into or... or if you could get hurt."

"Jack," Hiccup stood from the couch in favor of sitting next to him, "It'll be okay. All we need to do is wait this out, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean... They have to give up eventually, right?"

Jack shrugged, "I always thought that too. But through the years, they've only tried harder to find me. Besides... It isn't me I'm worried about. I want to know where my dad is," Jack laid on his back again and shut his eyes, "Once I'm positive he's safe, I'm out of the state."

"Right, right..." Hiccup ran a hand through his own hair, "How are we supposed to go about this?"

"I don't know," Jack's voice had dulled down, "My plan was to just go back and ask them myself. Can't do that now that you've gone all 'protective boyfriend' on me."

"Or maybe I just care about my friend," Hiccup offered.

Jack glanced at Hiccup, and stared back at the ceiling, "...Thanks," he barely managed to whisper before he hopped up onto his feet, "The water heater works, right?"

"Yeah..."

"I'm taking a shower," Jack informed him, "Thanks for breakfast."

**Thank you guys for the reviews, I apologize for how filler-y this chapter was. Have a sp00ky month**


	17. UPDATE

**Sorry to disappoint- this isn't a new chapter. But, on the upside, it's not a notice that I'm discontinuing, either :D**

It's been almost 2 years since I started this fic, and it's not gone very far. The reason for this is pretty simple: My writing style has changed a lot since I began the story. I'd also like to think it's improved. In addition, I've had to BS my way through a lot of the fic because... to be honest, I didn't think it'd take off at all, so didn't put much work into outlining. There's a lot of small details I'd like to change. Excuses, excuses, etc. etc.

**To put it simply, I'd like to ****_rewrite_**** the story. Lengthen the chapters, make it flow better, fix a few plot holes, etc. If people aren't on-board for this, I'll still continue the story! It just won't exactly... reach its full potential. Updates won't be too frequent, as well. I encourage you to either PM me with opinions, or review on a different chapter than this one.**

If I do rewrite, I'll likely be posting on both ao3 and ffnet, but I'm not too sure about that. So... yep c: Let me know what you think.


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